April 5, 2020: Touching base – We are continuing to work closely with the CFIB to clarify the directive that was posted Friday. It appears that big box stores can indeed continue to offer pet supplies on their shelves if they so choose. It is at their discretion. This also impacts other sectors such as hardware and car parts, so there are thousands of businesses who stand with us in this situation. As we work our way through this legislation we want to hear from you about how this impacts your business and methods you are using to operate within the restrictions. Send your comments to susan.dankert@pijaccanada.com. We are all in this together and will continue to advocate for you.

April 3, 2020 Further to our message from yesterday the Ontario government spoke about new restrictions. They have released online a new list. Pet stores can remain open, however are now restricted to alternative methods of sale. It is our understanding that these new restrictions come into effect 11:59pm on Saturday April 4th.

https://bit.ly/2UFaiJp
_________________________________________________Services to the public that are restricted to alternative methods of sale:

Stores that sell any of the following items and provide them to the customer only through an alternative method of sale such as curb side pick-up or delivery, except in exceptional circumstances:

We will be watching closely to see how other provinces react to the changes in Ontario and will keep you updated. Our partners at the CFIB are using their network to help us all remain on top of the news and stay in touch with government officials. By now we are all familiar with how quickly things change and how these changes impact public behavior. First and foremost, we encourage you to keep up your health protocols and remain safe. Whichever sector of the pet care field you are in, you are doing a critical job to help pets and their families. We recognize the resilience, flexibility and patience you need to accomplish this and we are proud to work with you.